Big Day Out Offers Opening Slot To New Talent

Big Day Out Offers Up Its Opening
Slot To Talented Newcomers

A
nationwide competition is once again underway to find an act
to open the Auckland Big Day
Out.

Artists can enter via bnet* and
alternative radio stations in a number of main centres. The
competition requires demos to be sent in for on-air judging
from stations in Auckland, Palmerston North, New Plymouth,
Christchurch and Dunedin before the Big Day Out decides on a
National Winner.Last year,
Dunedin’s The Aesthetics won the competition. Their prize
included a trip to Auckland by airplane plus swanky
accommodation in the big smoke.

For 2009, the Big Day Out
is opening things up a little more to the prevailing
zeitgeist.

Big Day Out NZ promoter Campbell Smith
commented that he expected to see more of a ‘bnet’s
got talent’ vibe as the competition heats up in
coming weeks.

“The Aesthetics are a brilliant band but
definitely a ‘trad’ selection based on their Lou
Reed-drenched shouty drone rock style,” he
said.

“I’m not adverse to us getting a couple of
singing jugglers from Palmerston North onto the Big
Day Out stage if that’s the way it turns up,” joked
Smith.

“But to be honest, we’re expecting to unearth
something genuinely exciting, much as we did last year. The
Big Day Out has been the best music festival in the
country for 15 years and we pride ourselves on showcasing
the best new bands and freshest talent in the
country every year alongside a superlative
international line-up.”

Tune into the following bnet
stations for more information on getting into the
competition – or head to their websites, especially if
you’re reading this in Southland, Northland or
anywhere in between without a local bnet
station.

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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